1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera arrangement having a camera directed onto a pane with a light-guiding element being between the camera and the pane.
2. Background Art
A camera arrangement includes a camera and a pane. The pane separates an outside region from an inside region. For example, the pane is a vehicle window pane such that the outside region is the environment outside of the vehicle and the inside region is the vehicle interior. The camera is located in the inside region (i.e., behind the pane) for protection from the outside region and is directed towards the pane to detect images in the outside region (i.e., to detect light rays incident to the pane). The detection region of the camera is a function of the optics of the camera and the configuration of the arrangement. Because of space requirements of the camera, it is generally not possible to align the camera relative to the pane such that the detection region extends along the surface of the pane. Consequently, the camera has a blind region in which the camera cannot detect light rays which are incident to the pane at an angle nearly parallel to the surface of the pane (i.e., light rays which have a glancing angle of incidence).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,322,755, which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a camera arrangement having a camera and a pane. A light-guiding element fills the space between the camera and the pane. The camera may be cast within the light-guiding element. The camera arrangement is configured such that the camera has a detection region along a horizontal viewing direction. Due to the refractive properties of the transmitting medium (e.g., air on the outer region of the pane, the pane, the light-guiding element), light rays incident onto the pane at shallow angles (i.e., at angles between the normal angle of incidence and glancing angles of incidence) are deflected in the direction of the camera.